The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed

The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family is an award-winning non-fiction book written by Annette Gordon-Reed. Published in 2008, the book investigates the life and times of the Hemings family in relation to the larger societal framework and with particular focus on the founding father Thomas Jefferson and his relationship with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman.

Annette Gordon-Reed was born in Thorntown, a small town in Indiana; the precursor to her career is reflected in her past work - she has taught at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania Law Schools and has written extensively on the topics of Thomas Jefferson, slavery and race relations. Drawing on a vast collection of primary sources - diaries, letters and records related to the individuals and events mentioned in the book - Gordon-Reed captures the history and humanity of the Hemingses as she delves deep into the past.

The narrative introduces readers to a cast of characters both real and imagined - from Thomas Jefferson to Sally Hemings and their numerous children. Sally Hemings was an enslaved woman owned by Thomas Jefferson, though through their relationship they had several children. This fact was largely hidden and ignored until the 1970s - Gordon-Reed explores the nuances of this relationship, honing in on the complexities of life on a plantation and how it affected the lives of both Sally and Thomas alike.

Choosing to make her characters straddle the line between reality and fabrication, Gordon-Reed immerses readers in the everyday life of Monticello and the Hemings family - with Jefferson as both a distant figurehead as well as an integral part of the family. This allows readers to get inside the heads of the individuals, exploring their interior lives and feelings, unearthing their hopes and dreams. Simultaneously, Gordon-Reed also examines the larger societal framing and the legal, political and cultural factors that operated above them and often impacted the daily joys, sorrows and tribulations of life within Monticello.

The narrative covers nearly 100 years of history - from the aftermath of the American Revolution, to the Louisiana Purchase and the build up to the Civil War. This multi-generational, macro-micro perspective on a single family within this time frame enables readers to gain an unique and comprehensive perspective on how events shifted, how slavery’s reach changed and how individuals had to adapt and survive these scenarios.

Ultimately, Gordon-Reed’s chronicling of the Hemingses of Monticello’s history illuminates their human experience - and highlights the injustices that they lived with, as well as their resilience in means and ends. She delivers an account which gestures towards themes of freedom, identity and legacy, whilst demonstrating the constant presence of racism, power asymmetry and subjugation. In uncovering these themes, Gordon-Reed invites readers to appreciate the Hemingses of Monticello not only as a representation of America's past, but to empathize and ponder on their tale in a more intimate, human capacity.